Bill > S01221

This bill establishes a temporary state commission within the department of education to comprehensively examine school segregation in New York's primary and secondary schools. The commission will consist of ten members (two appointed by each of the governor, senate president, senate minority leader, assembly speaker, and assembly minority leader) who will serve three-year terms, with no more than five members from the same political party. The commission's key responsibilities include conducting investigations into the level of school segregation, exploring potential correlations between segregation and school funding, and analyzing the long-term economic impacts of inadequate educational resources on segregated students and society. Commissioners will be unpaid but reimbursed for expenses, and they are required to produce annual reports to the governor and legislature by July 1st each year, with the ability to also submit interim reports. The commission will have broad investigative powers, including the ability to subpoena witnesses, conduct public and private hearings, and request cooperation from state agencies. The commission will be active from July 1, 2025, until March 31, 2028, after which its provisions will be automatically repealed.

Budget and Finance

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S1221